Selena was the Spanish answer to Celine Dion. Unlike Celine, she was not a native Spanish speaker. The film is actually touching at times. There is a feeling of great sadness to what might have become of Selena. This film is a great tribute to somebody who died too young. Her father played by Edward James Olmos is superb. Lupe who plays Yolanda is also excellent. Constance Marie who plays Selena's mother is actually wonderful. I thought it was Olmos' real life wife, Lorraine Bracco. They look so similar. Jackie Guerra is wonderful too as her sister. I wished that Hollywood would look at the fact that this is a Texas' story. Selena was a Texas girl who also happened to be Spanish American. She loved and treated her fans with respect. My favorite scene is at the Los Angeles mall, the snobby salesperson almost refuses to try a dress "It's $800.00." Rather than make a fuss, Selena acts very classy about it. Then one Mexican sees her and the word spreads like a California wildfire around the mall, the store is mobbed with shoppers and store workers. The snobby saleswoman can't believe her eyes. "Who's Selena?" she asked. She's surprised to know that the Spanish customer is a huge star in Mexico but not in Los Angeles. She's overcome with embarrassment. After all Selena is only in Los Angeles for the Grammys.

This is a biopic of Selena Quintanilla-Perez (Jennifer Lopez). Back in 1961 Corpus Christi, Texas, Abraham Quintanilla faced racism from the whites on the one hand, and rejection from the Mexican community of their 'white' music on the other hand. He (Edward James Olmos) settles down in Lake Jackson, Texas raising a family. He starts a family band despite objections from wife Marcela (Constance Marie). Then he starts a restaurant and quits his job again against Marcela's wishes. He keeps pushing the kids especially young Selena even when the restaurant goes under. He's a true stage dad. She falls for hired guitarist Chris Perez (Jon Seda) and gets married in secret.

Jennifer Lopez comes in after 30 minutes. It's fine because the childhood story is actually good, and they've got the great Edward James Olmos holding it together. EJO is truly amazing. Jennifer Lopez shows that she has the acting chops. Writer/director Gregory Nava has made the standard biopic. It's sweet. The family drama is good. They don't push anything outrageous. The killing is relegated to the back and Yolanda Saldivar isn't explored that deeply.

Thought to be the next Gloria Estefan, Selena was a beautiful and gifted young singer who, with the support of her ambitious father and the rest of her family, rose to the top in Latino music. She was about to make the big "crossover" into the mainstream when, at the age of 23, she was shot and killed by the President of her fan club.

Jennifer Lopez is Selena, and the story starts before Selena was even born, when her father, Abraham Quintanilla (Edward James Olmos) was in a singing group doing mainstream music at a time when nobody wanted Mexicans unless they were singing Mexican music. Entrepreneurial and always looking to make a better life for his family, Abraham's family put up with him through several ventures, including the formation of a singing group when he realizes that Selena is special. Selena was a family enterprise - they were in her band, her father was her booking agent, and they traveled together in a bus.

Selena's voice, performing style, charisma and enthusiasm put her at the top of the Latin charts. She had one other thing going for her - like Elvis, like Jerry Lee Lewis, she was one of the very people she sang to. Their connection to her was very strong.

All of this is a build-up to the final few minutes of the film, which are heartbreaking - the real Selena is shown performing and on video with her family, and a candlelight vigil held by her fans is shown as well. What isn't shown is how she died, the assumption being that everyone knows the story. I would have liked a little more background, even just three minutes. All we see is Selena in one scene introducing the President of her fan club. Then later on, there are quick scenes showing the motel where she died, police cars, hospital scenes, and a news report voice-over saying that she went to the motel to obtain financial records and was killed.

Even though the viewer knows Selena didn't live, the ending is shocking and sad, as we feel we have gotten to know this young woman, her family, and her dreams. Jennifer Lopez does an excellent job as Selena; Selena's actual singing voice is dubbed. Before Ben Affleck and the paparazzi, which seems to have all calmed down now, there was, and still is, a beautiful, talented actress and performer. Edward James Olmos and the rest of the cast give wonderful performances.

This was not a young woman who drank and drove, who did drugs, who was sitting in a parked car in a marginal neighborhood at 5 a.m. and was the victim of a drive-by shooting or a drug deal gone bad. This was a great singer with her whole life ahead of her, a family, a husband and dreams of a baby. That she was struck down so cruelly is sickening.